Auction windfall brings art crown back to Sydney

Sydney has replaced Melbourne as the art capital of Australia - at least when it comes to auctions.

Deutscher-Menzies's big sale on Tuesday night added to the growing evidence that Sydney collectors are now out-bidding their Melbourne competitors.

The Australian-owned saleroom took a gamble on holding its first auction for the year in Sydney and so unusually early on the calendar. But it paid off handsomely.

In a cheeky wave to its main competitor, Deutscher-Menzies hired the Paddington Town Hall - Sotheby's regular auction space. Collectors and dealers filled the room and, after some fierce bidding and an 80 per cent clearance rate, the firm recorded turnover of $5.44 million.

"There was a phenomenal number of private collectors and the bidding was very active both in the room and on the phone," Deutscher-Menzies's executive director, Chris Deutscher, said yesterday. "It was record audience for us, as well as a record number of registrations and a record number of newcomers."");document.write("

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Among those present was Edmund Capon, the director of the Art Gallery of NSW. He had come with a friend who paid $202,725 for a 1975 oil painting by Fred Williams called Blue Kite, Kew Billabong.

The catalogue cover painting, a huge work by Bill Robinson titled The Bright Sea, Springbrook, was expected to fetch up to $300,000. However, it was knocked down for $200,000 on the hammer - $50,000 below the lower estimate - although with buyer's premium and GST, the successful bidder had to outlay another $38,500.

But the Robinson was also one of several works whose prices have jumped dramatically in recent years. The Melbourne collector who sold it had bought the painting two years ago from Philip Bacon Galleries in Brisbane for about half the final bid.

Similarly, a Charles Blackman picture of boats at Williamstown went to a Sydney woman at Christie's in 1999 for $134,500. After losing a fortune on the stockmarket, she put the painting into Tuesday's sale, where it fetched $166,950.

A small abstract, Luna Park 1941 by Sidney Nolan, which Sotheby's sold 18 months ago to a Melbourne collector for less than $90,000, was bought by a bidder at Deutscher-Menzies for $152,750.

Sydney dealer Denis Savill said he was surprised at the price as Nolan abstracts were particularly difficult to sell.

Mr Deutscher said he was seriously considering holding further sales in Sydney this year and the firm had already decided to run two of its four annual auctions in Sydney next year.

A senior executive with Christie's said his firm was also looking at holding more sales in Sydney this year.